Hi Neighbours,
I hope you are all safe and well and managing Tier 4 as best as can be expected – hopefully you haven’t been doing as much last minute running around as I have!
It has been a while since my last update, and quite a few things have happened since then. I am only going to highlight the most recent and important developments to try and keep this relatively short. I will then set out some quick and easy actions that you can take now to help support the LTN. For the full summary and further details please scroll to the end of the update and read the details there.
The first change to the LTN that I would like to highlight is the effective removal of the entire northern half. For me this is a fundamental issue, as in some ways it will have the same effect as removing the entire LTN.
The second change to the LTN is the one we have seen today – namely that the Pinner View barrier has been opened to emergency vehicles only due to increased risks from the latest surge in Covid cases. I do not see this as an issue so long as steps are taken to ensure that this is indeed only used by emergency vehicles.
However, the main issue at the moment is that silence is currently being interpreted by the Council as objection to the scheme. There is a risk that if we do not provide vocal support, the LTN trial will be scrapped early – regardless of whether or not it achieved the intended objectives.
For now, the priority is to try and get the northern half of the LTN reinstated as soon as possible. I would personally still like to try other LTN layouts, but unless the case for the LTN trial to continue is made first, it is unlikely that we will get to that point.
To help with this, please take the following actions as soon as possible – they are all very quick and easy, and will hopefully make a huge difference:
***ACTIONS***
1. Please go to the Harrow Council consultation website at the link below, scroll to the bottom and provide a comment requesting that the full LTN-02 is reinstated as soon as possible, and that measures are put in place to ensure that only emergency service vehicles can pass through the opened barriers. Please share with other supporters and encourage them to do the same.
https://harrowstreetspacestrials.commonplace.is/proposals/low-traffic-neighbourhood-schemes-ltn
Please also write to the local councillors (details below) and request the same.
Graham Henson (Leader Harrow Council) – graham.henson@harrow.gov.uk
Simon Brown (Councillor Headstone South)– simon.brown@harrow.gov.uk
Sasi Suresh (Councillor Headstone South) – sasikala.suresh@harrow.gov.uk
Pamela Fitzpatrick (Councillor Headstone South) - pamela.fitzpatrick@harrow.gov.uk
2. Residents of Headstone South only - please read and sign the new Headstone South Residents’ Petition at the link below. Please encourage your family and neighbours to do the same if residents. This is to remind the council to not lose focus on the fact that this was a resident lead and supported initiative.
3. Please follow Healthy Streets for Harrow on Twitter, ‘like’ on Facebook, and sign up to the newsletter. Please share Healthy Streets for Harrow posts and positive LTN experiences on social media, and politely engage where you feel comfortable doing so.
https://healthystreetsharrow.wordpress.com/2020/12/16/low-traffic-neighbourhood-update-dec-2020/
4. If you know anyone living in another part of Harrow that is interested in an LTN in their area, please ask them to write to us using the form below:
https://healthystreetsharrow.wordpress.com/contact/
5. If you would like to get more actively involved (this might include helping with leafleting, doing research, speaking at council meetings among other things), please drop me an email at e.bradley.1@gmail.com with the subject line ‘Headstone South LTN Campaign’.
***END of ACTIONS***
It has not escaped my attention that misinformation about LTNS is currently being shared on social media. This is something that has also happened to the many other LTNs introduced across London (including historic schemes now considered great successes!). Please remember if engaging that the people sharing it will generally be doing so out of a sense of genuine concern, not malicious intent. If you would like me to address any points raised on social media then please do drop a message to Healthy Streets for Harrow here: https://healthystreetsharrow.wordpress.com/contact/ We are always happy to have an open discussion about any of the points raised, and we can send you links to any of the data that we rely on – your questions will also help us update our FAQs (https://healthystreetsharrow.wordpress.com/vision/low-traffic-neighbourhoods/ so please ask away!
Remember – LTNS are the first step in what should be a series of measures to support walking and cycling in the area. If we already had a permanent LTN I’d be off campaigning instead for more safe pedestrian and cycle crossings, tree planting, and 20mph speed limits on Parkside / Pinner Rd / Harrow View. However, to make the case for these improvements we need to first increase the number of walkers and cyclists (and mobility scooters!) with an LTN, because it is walkers and cyclists that will be demanding these improvements, not drivers.
Thank you once again for all your help - I really cannot emphasise this enough. For those of you who have taken the plunge and engaged on social media, an additional thank you – I know how difficult it is!
If you don’t fancy social media, that’s absolutely fine too – just follow the steps above that you are comfortable with and you will still be making a huge difference!
Thank you once again for the tireless support, particularly in such a challenging year. Wishing you and your families all the best for the holiday season and for a better 2021.
Emma
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Headstone South LTN Trial Developments – further details
The trial got off to a rocky start when it was installed using temporary barriers instead of the large planters due to a supplier issue, resulting in many drivers moving the barriers aside, and queues of traffic as the barriers were removed and reinstalled multiple times. This unfortunately completely undid all efforts to get the barriers to show up quickly and reliably on Google Maps and Waze, but thank you everyone who tried to help with this.
Once the planters were finally installed there was some initial vandalism of bollards, but things eventually started to settle down, and the u-turning died away as expected. We then had about 3-4 weeks where my regular walks up to Headstone Manor were amazingly tranquil and it really felt like a true Low Traffic Neighbourhood. I saw a number of parents cycling on Pinner View with really young children, and I even saw a group of teenagers skateboarding in the middle of Pinner View – much better than glued to Fortnite!
Unfortunately, British Gas decided it was a great time to do extensive utilities works both on Harrow View and Parkside way, using temporary traffic lights which inevitably caused congestion at peak times.
As a result of this, the local Councillors decided to remove the northern half of the LTN and didn’t reinstate it even though the utilities works had finished – some residents (but not all) received a posted letter from the local Councillors explaining this. The council have left the signage in place which said the road was closed, but the traffic has started to creep up again and I expect this trend to continue. At the same time LTN-06 was also removed. Removing the northern half of the LTN is a problem because as the traffic returns the northern end of Headstone South will be perceived as unsafe for walking and cycling, which is likely to reduce the numbers of people walking and cycling across the entire area. Further details on this on Healthy Streets for Harrow:
https://healthystreetsharrow.wordpress.com/2020/12/16/low-traffic-neighbourhood-update-dec-2020/
On the 23rd December, the remaining barrier on Pinner View was opened to emergency vehicles only, the notice from the local Councillor Simon Brown reads “The Council has therefore decided to make immediate improvements to the Headstone South LTN by changing the positioning of the planters on Pinner View at the junction with Cunningham Park to give emergency vehicles only free access to all roads within the LTN. The Council will make this change today, Wednesday 23 December. For now, access will only be given to Emergency Services and bicycles. Clear signage will be installed to warn motorists, indicating that access is for emergency vehicles only”. It does not seem that this was requested by the emergency services, but that the Council decided to do it anyway specifically because of the risk of more ambulance callouts from the Covid peak.
In principle this is fine, compatible with the objectives of an LTN, and this approach has successfully been used elsewhere at the request of the emergency services. However, unless these are enforced by expensive monitoring (or a cheaper gate) then we will be straight back to the same levels of rat running as before. As far as I am aware, there is currently no monitoring in place and people are driving through as a result. I hope that the council will resolve this in the coming days, and I would suggest avoiding driving through regardless as there is a risk you may be fined.